Surgery August 2018
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wonderwoman, that is just awful to hear. I have similar insurance and would chew someone out if they even questioned my decision. I did not have a nurse call. I’m curious if that is protocol or if any others had that? How odd.
You are so prepared! I still need to get some button up shirts. Reading your post definitely motivated me to do so!
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Ashweb901: I had a bloated belly after my mastectomies also and when I got off the heavy pain meds it resolved itself. I didn't stay on top of the constipation that they caused as much as I should have and got into some cramping while remedying the constipation. Miralax everyday I miss a BM is my new protocol through chemo and all. Hopefully not TMI. Don't be a hero trying to get off the pain meds though. I tried too soon a few times and really it took a month after my mastectomies (17 weeks ago) before I was entirely on Tylenol. There are people on these forums who say they were driving and working and on no pain meds three days out. More power to them, but I think they are the exception not the rule. I've never been someone who liked pain meds but this is what they are for.
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Wonderwoman, that is despicable!!! It is absolutely about money. As a woman, I wonder how she can sleep at night. She's being paid to bully women into doing what is best for the insurance company. Grrrr!!!!
Ashweb, sorry for your tummy troubles. I hope it's improving.
I got into a little Sheri Pity Party yesterday, but got over it. Hope you're all keeping your chins up. Sometimes, it's hard.
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Two days out from BMX with ALND and DTI recon here. I had neoadjuvant chemo so I was really not pleased that they found cancer still in my nodes. Waiting on the path report - I see it in my patient portal but I can't read it yet and nobody has called me with it, this is quite frustrating. Pain is very manageable - mostly around my drains and I feel pretty much fine. The swelling in my chest is going down but my armpit is still quite tender and swollen. I stuck with liquids until I was sure my GI tract was moving again, that seemed to happen pretty quick and so I was eating solid food by mid-day yesterday. My drains are still draining but output seems to have dropped since yesterday. Taking a shower was extremely complicated; I am looking forward to having these drains removed.
Wonderwoman - I kept getting calls from a BCBS nurse and I just ignored them.
Piksie - sorry to hear about your path results. I did chemo and it really wasn't as bad as I had expected.
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Hello everyone, I am now 17 days post op, I still have one drain left to take out. But I am happy to be rid of the other three especially the ones near my pubic area so much easier to dress now that they are gone. Went to the grocery store for the first time and my Dr.'s appointment today and was pretty exhausted by the time I got home. I wish I could tell you that it's been a breeze but I had a couple of setbacks. Due to the previous radiation I had, my surgeon could not perform the DIEP flap and instead he performed the Free Tram flap. Which takes a little longer recovery time. So I was in the hospital for ten days. During that time my left breast started blistering, from what I was told was also due to the radiation which then cause an infection so now I am on some heavy antibiotics. I was discharge from the hospital but ended back in the hospital four days later due to dehydration I didn't even know that it was that bad, I suffer from renal failure so it doesn't take much for me to get dehydrated evidently. Needless to say I am happy to be home. So for those who are recovering along with me I wish a speedy recovery and for those still waiting you are in my prayers!
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wonderwoman that is ridiculous for that Nurse to be pressuring you like that! I guess that’s why they call it “managed care.” My insurance company only initially approved a month off and if I want more I have to provide medical documentation. My plan because of the fills and whatever treatment I’m prescribed is to be off total two months. We pay so much in premiums - I don’t know why nurses from our insurance company think we would even rent remotely perceive them to be on OUR side. Glad you held your ground.
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@borogirl - I have incisions under both armpits even though they only took a node from one. Doc said the incision on the “good side” was required to “get to the upper breast? Maybe to place alloderm....I dunno. Your pillows are so pretty and two per person is perfect! They can pass along one to a friend, given the increasing #s of women getting diagnosed these days
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borogirl, I love your pillows I am 17 days post op and still swollen under my left arm. I didn't have any lymph nodes remove but the pillows I have makes it easier to sleep, I tend to turn in my sleep but with the pillows not as much. I also bought a copy for my waste it easier to rest my arms on and also prevents my little dog from jumping on me lol, I think it is a personal choice but I enjoy mine. I would also recommend getting button up shirts/PJ’s especially with drains. I used a crown royal bag hooked to a lanyard to hold my drains. I had four, needless to say it is definitely a conversation piece
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Thanks for the feedback on the pillows. I emailed the nurse navigator and asked her to go ahead and give out 2 pillows for bilateral surgery. I also make drain bags of the same fabric, although I do like the Crown Royal bag idea - just don't think I could go through enough Crown Royal to supply those bags fast enough LOL. Here's a picture of the care bags I am making and giving to the nurse navigator for distribution when she does her pre-surgery classes.
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borogirl, they look great! I wish I had your talent I attempted to make a drain bag using a hot glue gun and some fabric lol sewing machines scare me so fortunately the crown royal bag worked out great! I that is a awesome talent you have and would be very appreciated by whoever received it
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borogirl, what a thoughtful thing to do. Just about all those things were on my bedside table in the days following surgery. Very useful and practical, plus the thought of someone taking the trouble and care to prepare them = priceless!
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hello everyone. I’m 3 days until my bmx and the sadness is just now kicking it. Not from the bmx as much as from the diagnosis. It’s like, this is real. I’m just so sad. I hate this.
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Sadlynew2018 as a woman who was in your shoes last year your sadness will get better as you move through the steps of treatment and have a plan. Hang in there 💕
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Hi. I am 25 days post op, dble mastectomy. Appointment on Tues for pathology results, and lymph node results. Just commented to myself today that I feel my belly is huge! Why is that? Is it because our chest area is practically concave in comparison? is it fluid?
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Elizabeth9!!! Me me me! My usually flat belly looks like a big bubble. So NOT to my liking. But I did read a post or two about torso swelling taking at least 2-4 weeks to go down (it took longer for my tummy tuck for obvious reasons). Maybe the fluid has nowhere else to go (neck would look pretty funny with a giant goiter! LOL!
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sadlynew - day 3 and day 4 were awful! I was so sad and easily irritated. Hot flashes also so i think mood swings were at play. My mood is better today on day 5. Not “happy” per se but closer to content. Hoping yours gets better too.
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hey, Elijagirl, look into hyperbaric oxygen treatments for your blistering. I’ve seen amazing results from a brca sister who used hyperbaric. I know that must hurt and sting like dammit (pardon my French!
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ashweb901, thanks I definitely will, yes it is very uncomfortable and wishing the swelling would go down! My abdomen feels so bloated.
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Anybody starting to wonder if their boobs need to “air out” a bit instead of being smashed into a compression bra? Maybe it’s bc I’m starting to see yellowing/bruising....and I’m dying to put something topical on my “W” suture line but I know it’s too early. At what point do we get permission to put anything topical on bruised areas or suture lines?
My body hates the part of the drains that is on the inside. H-a-t-e-.
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Anybody noticing their swelling (post drain removal) gets worse at night? Mine bearable when I get up in the morning - however by the end of the day it feels like I have a football tucked under each arm. Wondering if I should ask to have some fluid syringed out of there...
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akmom, yes I've had the same thing! The nurse told me that's normal, that fluid is generated when we're active and then at night much of it is absorbed. I did have fluid drained once and it's been much more manageable since.
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ashweb - I didn't have a compression bra and no one told me when I could put topical things on/around the sutures, but at about 2 weeks out I couldn't stand the flaky skin anymore and very gingerly put some moisturising cream on either side of the scar. My body also HATED the drain. It hurt so much I thought it was infected but apparently that's just the way it feels.
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Thanks, beeline
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Ashweb901, I think it would be okay to put something like moisturiser or arnica bruise ointment on your skin as soon as you want to but I'm not sure how soon after surgery it would be good to put anything on the suture scars. That would be something to ask your surgeon.
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thanks, beeline and aussiecat! I ordered some arnica cream. If i don’t wait for that i have some helichrysm oil diluted in coconut oil i can put on the skin not near the sutures.
Yes, akmom my swelling is def worse as the day goes on and with more activity. Today in particular it’s under my arms! I’m on day 6 after surgery. I remember the swelling from c sections and tummy tuck and hysterectomy. If it subside by morning I think you’re all normal!
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Hi ladies, scheduled for dbx nipple sparing with either tissue expanders or silicone implantson August 30. I also met with my genetics counselor and found out all my genetic testing was negative!! Even so I’m still freaking out. Had a breakdown at work yesterday. I can’t believe in less than a week my life will be changed completely. How do I stay positive? I don’t want to go to surgery with so many negative thoughts.
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Kiso20: I think the word mastectomy is a misnomer to make it not seem like as big a deal as it is. You are going to get through this. But what we are going through warrants grief and fear....and courage. Feel your feels. You are going to be all over the map emotionally every day for awhile. It does get better.
Ashweb901: careful with the moisturizers or scar treatments too soon. I ended up with a horrible rash from starting it too soon. Our immune system is undermined by surgery and so we can be extra allergic to things that usually don't bother us. My plastic surgeon said to wait till I was completely healed (which takes months) before putting anything on my skin.
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The breast registrar said not to use scar treatment till 3 weeks after surgery but I was told that it's okay to use moisturiser as soon as I wanted after surgery (I have very dry skin and not using moisturiser would be worse than using it). I did have waterproof dressings on my chest for 2 weeks though, so I couldn't put anything very close to the scars for that long anyway.
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hi Kiso, hang in there. It does change from day to day. My bmx is this Tuesday. I’ve held it together (kind of) until here recently. I cried most of today and just feel shattered to pieces. It likes it was all a distant thought until now. The breakdowns are ok. It’s part of this terrible process. I think there are others having the same surgery this week other than us. We can all do this. Let’s stay strong.0
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Well, tomorrow is my big day. I probably won't be coherent enough to update all of you until I get released from the hospital, but who knows what shape I will be in...take care all!
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